JEDDAH, 1 June 2007 — There was no political motive behind the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry by President Pervez Musharraf, said a Pakistani minister yesterday.

Minister for Population Welfare Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain, who is in the Kingdom on a private visit, said the case against the chief justice was referred to the Supreme Judicial Council following complaints that Chaudhry misused power in many cases and used his influence to get a government job for his son. The reference was sent to the judicial panel after the government gathered substantial evidence to prove its case, he said.

The situation will improve as the Supreme Court has taken up the case and the proceedings are continuing, the minister said. The government will abide by the top court ruling in the judge’s case and will decide on a future course of action only after the verdict comes, he told Arab News.

Shahbaz blamed the opposition parties for the Karachi killings on May 12. The opposition tried to politicize the issue, he said.

“Our ally in Karachi had planned a rally some two weeks before May 12,” he said. “Opposition parties and lawyers were asked not to hold their rally the same day as it could trigger violence, but they turned down the government request. The opposition wanted to exploit the issue to their benefit because they don’t have any issue to muster people’s support.”

What happened in Karachi was strongly condemned by the president himself, Shahbaz said.

Regarding Musharraf’s re-election as president by the current Parliament before his five-year term expires in November, Shahbaz said the current assembly would re-elect Musharraf.

“The Parliament gave Musharraf the right to wear uniform until his term expires. So those saying that the president has reneged on his promise are wrong,” he said.

The case has assumed critical importance amid growing pressure on Musharraf to relinquish his post as army chief and restore democracy, but Shahbaz said it was wrong to say there was no democracy. “People enjoy all democratic rights, they are free to express their opinions, there are no restrictions on media or on holding rallies. The economy is strong, forex reserves have increased and foreign entrepreneurs are investing in Pakistan,” he said.

On government’s Kashmir policy, Shahbaz said Islamabad had not taken a U-turn.

Highlighting his ministry’s achievements, the minister said: “My ministry has set the target of bringing down the national population growth rate to 1.2 percent by 2020. A plan has been prepared to motivate people and create awareness among them about the need to contain population growth.

Training programs for religious scholars, both men and women, as well as those for preachers have been initiated. An international conference of religious scholars attended by representatives from 21 Muslim countries was organized by the Ministry of Population Welfare in Islamabad to discuss the issue.

“People at all levels have to be motivated to follow population planning rules,” he said.